Pains of the Past and Joys of the Future
by SaintPatricia
Summary: When a terrible accident occurs and Katrina is hospitalized, Eugene is unsure of his faith and his life, until an unexpected friend leads him along. Suddenly, what turned to a deep friendship turns into something more. Eugene Meltsner X Connie Kendall. Please Rate and Review! May God speak to you through this (sorry that it sounds kind of cheesy)! :-)
1. Chapter 1: Conflict Arises

**Hello! Just a little "Author's Note": This story is about Connie X Eugene (am I the only one who ships them?) from Adventures in Odyssey. **

**It's taken from both Connie's point of view and Eugene's, but the first chapter is Connie's. I hope you enjoy! I promise to not abandon it!**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ADVENTURES IN ODYSSEY OR THE CHARACTERS USED IN THIS WORK OF FICTION! I ONLY OWN THE STORY!**

**Good, now that the Disclaimer is over with... ON WITH THE STORY! Kick back, relax, make some popcorn, and GET TO READING (please)! :-D**

Connie's point of view:

I smiled as Eugene walked into the door. Katrina and I were going to go shopping Sunday, and I could hardly hold in the excitement of spending time with another girl. "Good morning, Mr. Whittaker; Ms. Kendall," Eugene said as he walked in the door. "Good morning, Eugene," Mr. Whittaker greeted him with a friendly smile. "Morning, Eugene," I said with a playful smirk, glancing at him for a moment before I continued to wipe down the tables before the customers arrived. "How is Katrina doing?" I asked, smiling. "She's doing well at the moment; She seems eager to spend much of Sunday with you," He said, helping Whit get the stuff ready to open up shop. "Well, that's good," I said as I finished wiping the tables, moving on to mopping the floor. We continued to clean until the whole shop was glistening, the light from the windows giving the whole store a golden glow. _I like spending these days in the shop, helping Whit.. _I thought to myself, as children who were waiting outside came in from the crisp winter air, the store bustling with merriment and joy. I couldn't help but smile to myself. This was my favorite part of working at Whit's End: Seeing the happy children, their eyes sparkling and their cheeks rosy with the magic merriment Whit's End gave. The effect was more than joyful: It was what made Whit's End so popular in the first place.

It just wasn't because we had games and toys here, but it was because we gave children the love and attention some of them couldn't find anywhere else.

Of course, that didn't mean we didn't _discipline _the kids. We did, but children appreciated discipline more than us totally ignoring them. Even if they don't admit it, in their hearts they crave the feeling of love and acceptance, even kids that misbehave love to feel at least a _little _wanted. _Of course, it's not like I'm an EXPERT on kids or anything, but it's true... _I thought as I continued to watch them. I could see Eugene off in the corner talking on his phone, with a grave expression on his face. As he hung up, he said to Mr. Whittaker, "I must leave immediately, Mr. Whittaker. Katrina's been in an accident," Then he sprinted out the door. "Alright, Eugene; Be safe, and God Bless," Whit called out. "What's going on?" I said out loud, shocked when Eugene mentioned Katrina. Whit shook his head. "I'm not sure; What I do know is that we can pray for them," He said, stopping to look at me, his face grave. I stopped too. "Okay," Was all I could manage to say as Whit and I sat down and bowed our heads over the table.

_"Dear Heavenly Father, _

_We pray for healing for Eugene and Katrina. We ask that you might be with them and guide them in this difficult situation. We ask that you might heal Katrina and any injuries she might have, and that her life might be in Your hands, Lord. Please help Eugene to get through this difficult time, and that he might be healed as well. Keep them both safe and whatever happens, Lord, help them to continue to honor You in every situation. Amen." _

"Amen," I said after Whit had finished praying. "Do you think they'll be okay, Whit?" I asked him softly, praying the terrible moment would be over soon. "Well, I can't guarantee they'll be okay, Connie, but I _can _guarantee whatever happens it will be for the Glory of God," He said. He held my hands in his.

"It'll be alright, Connie," He said earnestly, and I knew he was right. I just nodded, seeing that there was nothing more I could do.

_Please, God... help Katrina... help Eugene... please... _I silently prayed in my head, letting go of the situation and trusting God would handle it for me.

**Author's Note: OKAY! SO CHAPTER ONE IS DONE! YES! Anyways, PLEASE R&R (Rate and Review)! Also, please comment! It gives me energy and motivation! God bless! **


	2. Chapter 2: More than Just a Loss

**Hi again! Sorry, but it looks like you'll be stuck with me for the rest of this story... hope you don't mind. :-) ANYWAYS, you've seen Connie's point of view about the whole situation, now lets go a bit deeper and see what Eugene thinks. Sorry, I don't speak entirely "Eugene Language" so please feel free to leave constructive criticism and help to improve my work. ;-)**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ADVENTURES IN ODYSSEY! THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION, OKAY? CLARIFICATION: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING BUT THIS STORY!**

**Okay, so now that THAT'S over with... let's go deeper and see some REAL action going on! :-)**

Eugene's point of view:

I stood there, completely paralyzed, my pulse racing. My temperature was intensifying as I nearly fainted at what I saw, for my dearest Katrina laid on the hospital bed, dead.

She was actually dead.

When the doctor told me the harsh truth, that she was killed by a drunk driver, I was in too much a state of shock to believe, frozen in the intensity of the moment. "What-What do you mean... I don't understand..." I stammered on, heated beneath my long sleeve white shirt and vest. I tugged at my collar, praying I might be revived of the terrible nightmare I was living. "I'm sorry for your loss, Mr. Meltsner," The doctor said, shaking his head sadly. I sighed.

"It's more than just a loss..." I said quietly, not daring to look upon the fragile, limp creature. I had held her in my arms for a moment, praying the Breath of Life God had blessed in all mankind would once again find her, and enter her so she would live again. "Please... this can't be true... you have to help me..." I said, placing my hands together in my most emotional moment. _Why God, why must it end this way? _I repeated several times in my head, trying to find some sort of loophole through the difficulty I was facing. Sadly, we all know life doesn't work as simply. "Please, Mr. Meltsner..." He said, sighing in frustration. I sighed.

"What am I to do now, Lord?" I said, more to God than myself or the doctor. "I suggest that once you take care of the funeral, you should have some well-deserved rest," He said. "I'm sure that will fix the situation perfectly," I said sarcastically, then sighed.

"Eugene, I know it's difficult, but God will take care of you," The doctor said, placing a hand on me. "Thank you, doctor," I said, although I felt he wasn't much help. "Honestly, Eugene, there isn't much else we can do but pray and continue to be faithful to God. Right now, the most important thing to do is use the Power of Prayer and remain strong in our faith. You are not alone in this, Eugene. You have the full support of your friends and family, and God has blessed you with many special people in your life. You only need to take the time to really notice them," He said, and for a moment I thought he glowed. "Thank you, doctor; you are an angel of sorts," I said, forcing myself to give him a small smile of gratitude. He smiled as well, then laughed. "Well, I am, of sorts," He said, his friendly face looking more radiantly than ever. "You are an angel," I said, fully smiling now, out of comfort and joy. "Indeed, I am," He said. "Tell God thank you for being there for me," I said. He smiled. "He just wants you to know that he loves you."


	3. Chapter 3: The Unfortunate News

**For the month of 2014-03, there have been a total of 33 Views and 6 Visitors to story. That is seriously AMAZING! I'm sorry I took so long to update! Life got kind of busy. I'll try to update often! Thank you to the 2 reviews! YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH IT MEANS TO ME! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Adventures in Odyssey or the characters incorporated in this work of fiction. The plot and design of this story is copyrighted by me, the author, and all of this was a work of the author's (that's me!) imagination. Clarification: I only own the story and the plot. If I owned Adventures in Odyssey Connie and Eugene would be married. Of course, I mean no offense to the people who make Adventures in Odyssey and I have nothing personal against the character Katrina!**

*** Ahem * With that being said... I PRESENT CHAPTER THREE! :-D**

Connie's Point of View:

Sunday went by without a word from Eugene. Days went by and we heard nothing yet from Eugene.

Mr. Whittaker looked solemn when he said that he heard news from Eugene. "What did he say, Whit?" I asked, dying to know what had happened. _Why am I always the last one to know what's going on? No one tells me ANYTHING around here! _I thought to myself as Whit turned to face me.

All of a sudden realization hit me. Hard.

"Oh..." I said softly. "Is she... ?" I couldn't even bear to say the horrible word. Whit sighed, and finally said, "Katrina's accident was fatal,"

It was harsh. "Poor Eugene," I said lowly, sobered by the unexpected tragedy. "We're going to have to be here to support him, Connie. It's terrible to lose a loved one, especially at the young age she was. We'll have to all help each other to get through this, because Katrina was a special friend to all of us," Whit explained. "Of course," I said, fully motivated to comfort poor Eugene, and hopefully receive some comfort myself. After all, Eugene wasn't the _only _one who had a special relationship with Katrina. She was my friend, too.

"When will Eugene come to work again?" I solemnly asked, feeling the need to give comfort to Eugene.

I mean, sure, we fought, but we were still good friends. We were close, actually, and I know that deep down Eugene would never give away any of my secrets, and I treat him with the same respect.

Well, sort of. Kind of. Not really. Does it really matter right now?

_Okay, so I guess this reminds me that I kind of need to be a little nicer to Eugene... the poor guy has already taken so much abuse from all my schemes! I mean, I guess I DID get him fired because of Applesauce... but he got his job back anyways! Way before me, actually... but that doesn't matter. _

_I have to help him now... he needs it... really... if only I could talk to him! Maybe I could visit him... who knows? Maybe he needs an extra push... but then again I don't want to nag him... and I should give him some space... I really don't know... I should bring him some flowers... yeah, and maybe a card... but would that be too much? I don't want to overdue it... gosh, this is so awkward... _I thought to myself, rummaging through my brain for any ideas on what to do.

"Connie?" Whit asked, a concerned expression on his face. "Oh, sorry Whit," I said when I came back to the present and out of the wandering of my mind.

"Hey Whit, do you think I should go visit Eugene? I haven't heard from him in days, and I thought I should show him some support, but I want to give him some space... I was thinking about bringing flowers and a card, but I don't want to overdue it or make him uncomfortable... I don't want to make him feel bad or like he needs to do something for me... I really just want to help him... should I wait until he asks for help? Or should I help to give him a little push? I don't want to seem like I'm nagging or demanding... what should I do, Whit?" I asked him, clueless on what to do.

"Well, I think you should treat Eugene the way you normally do. After all, he's still the same person; he's just getting over things, and that takes time. That's all. Really, Connie, there's not much we can do. It's a process to recover over the loss of someone, and it usually takes up to months, or years really, for things to be right again. Of course, you're never the same, and you never quite get over it, but I think gradually you soon start to accept the reality that people only live for so long, and we have no control over death. God called Katrina home, and I think we just need to accept that.

Of course it's natural to feel upset, and I don't blame Eugene for the feelings he has. After all, he's lost one of the most important people in his life, and that takes time to recover from.

Accepting loss is hard, and he's already had to battle accepting the loss of being unable to bear children recently, so you can imagine the sadness of another loss. That's why he needs comfort, because it's impossible to make it out on your own through a situation like this. You have to have the support of other faithful Christians to pull you through.

I think you should visit him, and maybe bring him flowers, but there's not much need for a card if you're meeting with him personally.

Maybe you could see if he wants to talk, and if not that's fine too. He has to come at his own pace; you don't really feel like talking to anyone when you lose a loved one.

You might not even have to talk. Maybe he'll just enjoy your company; it's nice to feel the presence of someone else when you lose a loved one; it makes you feel less alone.

Well, that's the best advice I can give you, Connie. I think you should see for yourself how it turns out, and I'm sure Eugene will appreciate your efforts to try and make him feel loved and appreciated,"

Mr. Whittaker said, and I smiled, knowing that the best advice came from Whit.

_He always has knowledge and experience about these things... _I thought to myself, admiring the pure genius of Mr. Whittaker. "Thanks, Whit; I think sometime I'll drop by and pay him a visit," I said with a smile, as I finished work. _Now hopefully this all works out for the better... _I silently prayed as I made the effort to go visit Eugene, and pick up some flowers on the way.


	4. Chapter 4: Bonding

**OKAY! So I finally finish Chapter Four after the SEVERELY bad case of "Writers Block" that I (unfortunately) had somehow caught over the week. I'm SO sorry it's taken so long for me to publish it! Also I have another story called, "Rise of the Guardians 2," which of course is the sequel to the original movie. I'm hoping DreamWorks might consider it; hey, you never know what could happen! So you might want to check it out sometime.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Adventures in Odyssey and this was only meant for entertainment purposes. This is a work of the author's imagination (and I'm the author), and is completely fictional. I also have nothing again the character Katrina Shanks (she's not my favorite though).**

**P.S. Don't think I don't read reviews! THANK YOU TO THE THREE REVIEWS I HAVE SO FAR! I APPRECIATE IT SO MUCH!**

**WITH THAT SAID... ENJOY!**

Eugene's Point of View:

I was sitting on a chair in the kitchen, my mind wandering to the loss of my beloved wife, whom I felt I hadn't been married to long enough. I jumped in my seat as a loud knock from the door startled me.

There was a moments pause, then another hesitant knock. "Eugene?" Came a soft, muffled voice behind the door. A voice I was all too familiar with.

I came to the door, opening it, mildly surprised at the visitor. "Oh, uh... hello Ms. Kendall," I said, the yellow of the flowers in her hand catching my eye.

_I remember when I once gave her flowers, because she was showing me how to achieve the affection of a woman, specifically Katrina... oh, the memories... _I though to myself as I stood there a moment, concealing the temptation of revealing the thoughts within me to Connie, for I didn't wish to create a moment of awkward silence, which would probably happen sooner or later, I figured.

"Hi Eugene; um... I heard about what happened, and I brought these flowers for you," She said, handing the flowers to me. "Um, thank you... that was very thoughtful of you," I said, trying hard to ignore the flood of emotions which were rising within me, threatening to erupt.

"I shall put these in a vase," I said, quickly proceeding to do so, but hastily returning once I realized that I forgot to invite Connie in. "Oh, um... sorry, come in, please," I said, thinking to myself that company was very unnecessary at the time.

_Of course, it was indeed thoughtful of her to come over and pay her respects, and I suppose she IS being more polite than usual, so of course I should offer hospitality and invite her in for an unwanted chat, _I thought to myself as I quickly filled a vase with water and delicately placed my flowers in it.

"Um... so..." She began, a blush slightly evident in her cheeks. I could tell she was thinking of something comforting to say. "Please sit down," I offered as we both sat in chairs opposite each other.

There was a moment of silence as we looked at each other, and a sigh escaped Connie's lips.

I was beyond relief when she spoke after that, her voice a wave of relief.

_Good, now all I have to do is listen... of course knowing Connie she'll have me participate SOMEHOW in the conversation, although it is, of course, in good intentions and genuine concern... I suppose I'll do the best I can to end this as quickly as possible so I can save myself from any uncomfortable emotions, _I thought.

"Eugene, I don't want this to be awkward or anything, but I've been concerned for you.

I mean, I know you have a lot to think about and stuff, but I've been kind of missing you.

Really, Eugene, I know that we're not always the nicest to each other... but it gets kind of lonely there without you trying to say something smart or arguing with me. You're a good friend of mine, and even though sometimes I think we both kind of take each other for granted, I don't want you to think that I've forgotten about you, because the truth is I kind of like just having you there, even if we don't talk much to each other. I feel like without you there it's kind of incomplete.

I mean, Katrina was a friend of mine too, but I really want to help you more after all of this, because it's made me realize how much you mean to me," She said, looking at me with sparkling green eyes when she finished.

I was honestly very near tears, a sad smile forming on my face as I replayed her words in my head.

"Thank you, Connie; I suppose to say it simply I've missed you too. From the moment I left the hospital, up until now, my life has been utterly soundless, and I've missed your constant voice. In all honestly it's actually been a pleasure and relief to hear it once again, and I look forward to when I return to work alongside you and Mr. Whittaker. Thank you, Connie, for taking the time to come here and talk to me; it's honestly helped more than I thought it would," I said with a smile, my words surprisingly honest and genuine.

She smiled as well, and I could feel a very faint hope rising in her.

"So you're coming back to work at Whit's End?" She asked, and I smiled, realizing that for the first time since the accident I felt a joy and happiness I hadn't yet known I could ever possibly gain again.

_It feels like friendship, happiness, and... dare I say it? Is it really what this feels like? Love? Bonding? With Connie? Has our relationship become deeper because of this conversation? _I thought to myself, and an immediate shock and realization came to me as I looked at Connie.

_She felt it too. Bonding. Friendship. The feeling of tenderness and joy, something so beautiful and yet so solemn. Does she really feel it too? _I thought, and without a doubt I knew, not assumed, but _knew_, she felt the moment. The peace and comfort, the joy and hope, the care and love in our interaction.

We just sat their for a moment, the feeling slowly fading away, but present in our minds.

Finally Connie sighed and stood, as I did so as well. "I probably should get going," She said as we looked at each other once more, as we parted with a smile. "Thank you for the visit," I said once more as she left, deciding to read for a bit before I finally went to sleep. However, I found I couldn't.

Instead I kept thinking of Connie and of what she said.

_Really, I could honestly never expect Connie to really think such of me. The thought that she really MISSED me, that the other people of Odyssey MISS me, the thought slipped from my mind. How could I have been so selfish to cause them such great concern for me? I had just assumed that there was a general concern for my welfare after the accident happened, not a personal one. I wonder who else misses me... could Connie be the friend the angel spoke of? Why is she suddenly invading my thoughts? After all, I rarely if ever have any thoughts of Ms. Kendall other than the thoughts of us being coworkers and good friends, however that is as far as my thoughts go. Why is our relationship suddenly feeling so... personal? _I thought as I laid in bed, once again alone without a warm body laying next to me.

_I wonder what her thoughts are of me... now that I've pondered the question I wonder what ALL of Odyssey's thoughts are of me... I wonder what Katrina is doing in Heaven, with the Almighty God we serve... _I thought to myself as I closed my eyes and relaxed my body, drifting into the rest I desperately needed.


End file.
